Gearing for laundry machinery



J. H. HENDRICKSON. GEARING FOR LAUNDRY MACHINERY.

Patented July 20, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-25- 1919.

J. H. HENDRICKSON.

(BEARING FOR LAUNDRY MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-25.1919.

Patented July 20, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. HENDRICKSON, F CLEVELAND,

OHIO, ASSIGNOIR- TO THE HENDRICKSON GEARING FOR LAUNDRY MACHINERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1920.

Application filed August 25, 1919. Serial No. 319,615.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. HENDRICK- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearing forLaundry Machinery, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to clothes washingmachines of the rotary cylindertype, and it has particular reference to the novel construction of themechanism for operating the rotating cylinder and the wringer con- Inected with the machine.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of asimple, durable, economical, and convenient motor driven mechanism forrevolving and automatically reversing, or oscillating the Washingcylinder, and for operating the wringer in both directions of revolutionof the rollers.

A further object is to provide simple means for shifting the wringer andcooperating mechanism to a number of positions, as desired, withoutdisturbing the cylinder operating mechanism.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and setforth definitely in the ap pended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings which are made part of the specification, similarcharacters of reference being employed to designate corresponding parts.

In the said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvedmachine.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation in direction of arrow m, Fig. 1, showing thebody of the machine partially broken away.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on line 3 3, Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in directionof arrow m, Fig. 1, with aportion of the gear housing broken away.

Fig. 5 is a plan view, and Fig. 6 is a section substantially on line 66of Fig. 2.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary views illustrative of a clutchoperating means employed. 7

Referring now to the, drawings, 1 represents a metallic tub supported bya frame structure 2, and having mounted therein, on a horizontaltransverse axis, a rotatable cylinder 3, said cylinder being perforatedand said connection in detail.

provided with a sliding door 4. The design and arrangement of theelements thus far set forth are old in the art, and are not pertinent tothe present invention, except as in combination with the improvedmechanism.

In carrying out my improvement, which is adaptable to cooperation withthe common elements above mentioned, a housing 5 is provided, which isrotatably mounted on a vertical bearing bracket 6, said bracket beingfirmly attached to the frame 2 so that the housing 5 can rotate abovethe top of the machine. A shelf 5 is connected with the housing 5 andprovides a support for the motor 7. v

A vertical shaft 8 is journaled in the housing 5 and in the bracket 6,and has a worm wheel 9, keyed or otherwise secured thereto, in the upperpart of the housing, as best shown in Fig. 3. The worm member 9 is themain driving element and is operated by an engaging worm 10 driven bythe motor 7.

A pair of oppositely disposed bevelgears 11 and 12 are carried by theshaft 8, said gears co-acting with a companion gear 13 on a horizontalshaft 14, to drive the wringer, the shaft 14 being connected-with thelower wringer-roller 15. As there are several ways of connecting thesaid shaft and wringer-roller, that are common ifi shop practice, it isnot deemed necessary to show The oppositely disposed bevel-gears 11 and12 in mesh with the gear 13 provide means for reversing the direction ofrevolution of the wringer rollers, through their co-action with clutchmechanism. The said clutch mechanism in- .cludes a sleeve 16 mounted onthe shaft 8 vided with annular flanges 16 and 16 A.v

stub-shaft 17 is journaled in a boss 5 and carries an eccentric pin17%Wvhich operates on the flanges 16 and 16'. An operating handle 18 isattached to the shaft 17, said handle being provided with a projection18 which is adapted to engagement, respectively, in the grooves a, b andc in the face of the boss 5". When the handle is in the position shownin Figs. 4 and 7, the projection 18 is in groove a, the sleeve 16 is ina neutral position, and the wringer is inoperative. It will be seen thatthe projection may be withdrawn from engagement with groove a and thehandle turned either to the right or left, as desired, the projectionautomatically engaging with either groove 6 or c, as the case may be."When in engagement with groove 6 the eccentric pin 17* causes thesleeve 16 to engage gear 11, and thus drive the wringer roll in onedirection, and when engagement is made with groove 0, gear 12 isactuated, resulting in reversing the direction of revolution of saidwringer rollers.

A bracket 19 is attached to the frame of the machine and connected withthe bracket 6, as shown by the flanges 6 and 19 A horizontal stub-shaft20, journaled in said bracket 19, carries a bevel-gear 21, said gearbeing in mesh with a companion gear 22 on the lower end of the shaft 8.Provision is made by the last named gears for driving the washingcylinder 3, through the novel combination and arrangement of elements asfollows.

Mounted on the cylinder trunnion 23 is a pinion 2 1. Said pinionnormally is free on the trunnion, but is operatively connected therewiththrough the medium of the clutch 25 being actuated by a lever 26. Arocker member 27, pivoted on the frame of the machine at 28, is providedwith a segmental gear rack 27 which meshes with the pinion 24. An arm 29is attached to the bevel-gear 21, and connection is made between saidarm 29 and the rocker member 27 by an eccentric connecting bar 30, saidbar having pivotal connections at 29 and 30. It is obvious, that, withthe clutch 25 thrown in, and the gear 21 revolved, the cylinder 3 willbe oscillated on its axis, through the medium of the co-action of theconnecting rod 30, the rocker 27, and the pinion 24:, the gear 21 beingdriven by gear 22 carried by the vertical main shaft 8.

Provision is made for swinging the wringer horizontally to any positionwithout disturbing the cylinder operating mechanism. This is broughtabout by the wringer 31 being firmly attached to the housing 5, saidhousing being adapted to revolve on the stationary bracket 6, with theshaft 8 as an axis. The motor 7 being attached to the shelf 5*, which ispart of the housing 5, is retained in its operative connection with thedriving mechanism. Means are provided for locking the housing in threemost desirable positions, as best shown in Fig. 3. The said meanscomprise a vertically movable pin 32 mounted in an extension 6 of thebracket 6. Said pin is adapted to penetrate cavities 5 formed in thebase of the housing 5. The pin 32 is withdrawn from the cavities 5 by alever 33 fulcrumed on the bracket 6 at 33, and a spring 3 1, acting onthe pin, forces it into any one of the cavities when the lever 33 isreleased and a cavity is brought into registration with said pin, thusrendering the locking function automatic. 4

A friction clutch connection 35 is interposed between the motor 7 andthe worm 10 as a safe-guard against the burning of the motor, ifoverloaded.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In laundry machinery, the combination with a tub and a rotatablecylinder mounted on trunnions in said-tub; of a spur pinion mounted onone of the cylinder trunnions; a clutch for connecting said pinion withthe trunnion; asegmental rack mounted on the tub and in mesh withsaidpinion; a rotatable housing mounted above the tub; a sta tionary bracketwith which said housing is connected, said bracket being attached to thetub; a motor connected with said housing; a vertical shaft mounted insaid housing and in the stationary bracket; a pair of oppositelydisposed bevel gears mounted on said vertical shaft, within the housing;clutch mechanism for connecting said gears, respectively, with saidshaft; a bevel gear in mesh with the aforesaid pair of gears; a shaft onwhich said bevel gear is carried; an operating device provided with adriving element with which said shaft is connected, attached to thehousing member; said operating device containing a pair of coactingrotary elements; gear mechanism connecting the motor with the verticalshaft; a third bevel gear carried on the vertical shaft, below the firstnamed pair of bevel gears; a companion gear with which said third gearcoacts; a horizontal shaft on which said companion gear is fixed; and aneccentric connecting rod pivotally connected with the said companiongear and the segmental rack mounted on the tub, for driving thecylinder.

2. In laundry machinery, the combination with a tub and a rotatablecylinder mounted on trunnions in said tub; of a spur pinion mounted onone of the cylinder trunnions; a clutch for connecting said pinion withthe trunnion; a segmental gear rack fulcrumed on the tub below thecylinder axis, and in mesh with said pinion; a rotatable housing mountedabove the tub; a bracket provided therefor; a motor mounted on saidhousing;

a vertical driving shaft journaled in said housing and in the bracket;gear mechanism connecting said shaft and the motor; a bevel gear on saidshaft; a companion gear coacting with said bevel gear; a horizontalshaft on which said companion gear is fixed; an eccentric connecting rodpivotally connected with the companion gear and with the segmental gearrack, for driving the cylinder; an operative device attached to therotatable housing, said device containing a pair of rotary elements; andgear mechanism conllt mounted above tical driving shaft, for drivingsaid device.

3. In laundry machinery, the combination with a tub and a rotatablecylinder mounted on trunnions in said tub; of a spur pinion mounted onone of the cylinder trunnions; a clutch for connecting said pinion withthe trunnion; a segmental gear rackfulcrumed on the tub below thecylinder axis, and in mesh with said pinion; a rotatable housing thetub; a bracket provided therefor; a motor carried on said housing; avertical shaft journaled in said housing and in the bracket; gearmechanism connecting said shaft and the motor; a bevel gear on saidshaft; a companion gear coacting with said bevel gear; a horizontalshaft journaled in the bracket carrying the companionvgear; an eccentricconnecting rod connected with an arm provided on the companion gear, andwith the segmental gear rack, for driving the cylinder; an operating,device attached to the rotatable housing,

said operating device containing a pair of rotary elements; gearmechanism connecting one of the rotary elements with the vertical shaft,for driving said element; and clutch mechanism co-acting with the lastnamed gear mechanism, for reversing the operation of the rotaryelements.

4. In laundry machinery, the combination with a rotatable cylinder and asupport therefor, said cylinder being mounted on trunnions; of a spurpinion mounted on one of the cylinder trunnions; a clutch for connectingsaid pinion with the trunnion; a segmental rack fulcrumed on thesupport, and in mesh with said spur pinion; a stationary bracketattached to the support; a rotatable housing mounted on said bracket;stop means connected with the bracket and coacting with the rotatablehousing for checking the rotation of said housing; a motor connectedwith the housing; an operating device attached to the housing, saiddevice containlng a pair of rotary elements;

a bevel pinion connected with one of said rotary'elements; a verticalshaft mounted in the housing and in the stationary bracket; a pair ofoppositely disposed bevel gears mounted on said vertical shaft, withinthe housing; clutch mechanism for connecting said gears, respectivelywith said shaft, the said pair of bevel gears being in mesh with thiebevel pinion connected with the rotary element aforesaid; gear mechanismconnecting the motor with the vertical shaft; a bevel gear carried onthe vertical shaft below the pair of oppositely disposed bevel gears; abevel gear in mesh with said lower gear; a horizontal shaft whichcarries the last named bevel gear; and an eccentric connecting rodpivotally connected with the gear on the horizontal shaft and with thesegmental rack.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

JOHN H. HENDRICKSON.

